Oppana dance at Dakshin Chitra, Chennai

For those who are visiting Chennai and always asking the one big question – so what else is there to do or see around here? I have quite a few things on my “list of places to see and things to do’”. One of them is to visit Dakshin Chitra. I have been here numerous times, with family and friends, for family functions [yes an uncle had his 60^th Birthday celebrations here] and other times for a photo shoot a friend was doing. The most recent of them was on 12^th Jan with a bunch of friends. There were a few in this gang who were here the 1^st time, so we spent a leisurely 2 hours strolling around, checking out the various houses, the activities and few even did some shopping at the store in the reception area.

As we were completing our tour of the place, we noticed the area near the entrance all set and ready with chairs. There was going be a Kerala dance performance called Oppana. This is a dance specific to the Muslim community of Kerala. A bridal group dance, it is typically performed the day before the wedding day.  The bride dressed in all finery and covered with the finest jewellery sits in the center while all her friends and family dance around her in a circle.  Here we noticed one girl decked up more than the others, and she sat in a chair in the center while the others danced around her. There were 2 women singing on the side. It was quite a beautiful dance. Oh and the best part about this dance is that it is often made up of words used to tease the bride and the theme is around innuendoes about the bride's anticipated nuptial bliss. The songs are composed in a mix of Arabic & Malayalam. Apparently, there have been times when this dance was performed by men for the bridegroom, just before he leaves to bring his bride over.  

We watched this dance for a few minutes and then bid adieu to the beautiful place, making our way towards Mahabalipuram. 

Day 2 - Travel in style

When my parents got married, they lived in this then small town called Coimbatore for about 2-3yrs... i dont remember much about the place, or the house we lived in, but mom says it was a good bunch of years... Apparently, gramma's cousin's kids were studying nearby and would come visiting over weekends; an uncle lived in the same town ;another aunt was also around the corner[ she apparently helped mom fine tune her cooking as well].. All this was before i was born... so, well, what i know is from what they've told me...  

I was born and then they moved to Madurai, and then to Tirunelveli and back to Chennai eventually....

I visited Coimbatore [also known as Kovai] recently, about 2yrs ago, no Nostalgia but did have a few sweet memories from the family trip we had taken and the drive/visit to Dhyanalingam.... 

This time, i was there for my best friend's wedding...Jk and i have known each other since 3rd std, and top it off, i was the only girl friend at the wedding!!!  Was one hell of an experience, his parents took me around to introduce to their relatives, beaming that they had known me since i was small ... 

Fun started after the wedding was over.. I grabbed my bags from the room, had lunch and headed off to my [late uncle] aunt's house to say hello to her and the boys before taking the evening train back to Chennai... I had a ticket which was Waitlist1, and what i dint know back then was that if you are holding an e-ticket, that too one that was WL, it gets cancelled automatically and is null and void, unfit for travel.. I thought it would have been confirmed and happily hopped on the train, only to be reprimanded by the TTC that it was a void ticket... Not knowing what to do, i called my uncle, who in turn spoke to his friend,G working with the Railways!! The TTC literally stood up and spoke to G with respect and asked me to be seated.. After a few minutes, he came over to where i sat, asking me how i knew G.. Honestly, i dint know who G was, but couldnt let on that... The TTC promised me a ticket, but when i said am headed to Chennai, he shook his head saying "not possible ma, no seats to chennai available on this train" .. 

Damn.... only option was to get off in Erode, pick up an unreserved ticket and travel on the next train.. My uncle meanwhile spoke to an excolleague, who came received me in Erode station, took me home, fed me dinner and dropped me back in the station... Within this time span, G had pulled some strings, and thereon asked me to meet a particular TTC who'll help me with a berth!  Walked the length of erode Station, found the TTC in a coach all the way at the other end, he asked me to go sit in S10 or S11, dont remember!!

Sat in the TTC's seat for a while, with cops and others passing by staring like i had the Rabies... a cop even paused to ask where i was headed, etc and then would smile everyt ime he walked by... The TTC was grumpy as he sat for dinner,, barking at me while he asked about "how i knew G" and after about 2hrs called me aside, instructed me to go to A2, which is a good 10coaches away... Made my way to A2, where i met another TTC, who said  "i have an upper berth here , its all yours"... I travelled in 1st class AC for the rest of the journey... Finally landed in Chennai and live to tell the tale of my train adventure!!  when i narrated this to my newly married friend, all that schmuck told me was " woman, you should have called me, am now married to a gal who's dad is a Cop in Coimbatore..". haha... 

What is even more amazing is that about 7months back i was travelling to Blore- i saw the TTC approaching and he was none other than the TTC who gave me the A2 berth!!  He remembered me and  asked if i remembered him..!!

Looking fwd to making another trip to this land, and explore some places around!!